A Royal Pain
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Highs and Lows: Sacramento Kings Strike Magic, Break Losing Streak

By Rafe Wong

Mar 13, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) dribbles the ball against Sacramento Kings forward Skal Labissiere (3) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) dribbles the ball against Sacramento Kings forward Skal Labissiere (3) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Sacramento Kings finally broke their eight-game losing streak tonight as they defeated the Orlando Magic by a score of 120-115. Listed down below are the highs and lows of tonight’s contest that pertain to the Sacramento Kings.

HIGHS

Three-Point Shooting: The three-point shot continues to be an asset for the Kings on the offensive end. For tonight’s game, the Kings posted an efficient 53.3% shooting from the perimeter as they made a total of 16 three-pointers. Sacramento’s offense has been solid this entire season, and the main reason for it is because of their consistent three-point shooting. Hopefully, for the Kings, that part of the game can be something to lean on during their current rebuilding process.

Offensive Balance: The scoring distribution for Sacramento continues to spread throughout the roster as they had a total of 7 players (including all five starters) that finished tonight’s game scoring in the double-digits. This sharing of the scoring has been a trend for the Kings in the last couple of weeks. With no more DeMarcus Cousins on the roster, it now forces all the players on the Kings to step up and be aggressive scoring the ball when they get their opportunity to do so.

Darren Collison: Darren Collison really stepped up his game in tonight’s contest. As a result of his play, Collison recorded 19 points and 13 assists while shooting 5-9 from the floor. There was no doubt that Collison was the best player on the Kings tonight as he played a big role in his team’s offensive success tonight.

LOWS

Turnovers: The Sacramento Kings again had a rough night in taking care of the ball. For the game, the team wearing purple and white recorded 15 turnovers, which played a part in the Magic keeping the game competitive to the very end. Turning the ball over remains to be an issue for the Kings this season. For the year, the Kings are averaging 14.1 turnovers per game which have them ranked 21st in the NBA among all teams.

Stopping the Elfrid: Elfrid Payton gave the Kings fits on both ends of the floor tonight. Known as a player that defends and slashes to the basket, Payton took it to another level as he finished the game with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists. His third triple-double for the season. Payton was the best player for the Magic tonight as he was efficient on multiple aspects of the game.

Perimeter Defense: The three-point shooting was effective for the Kings on the offensive end of the floor, but had the opposite results on the defensive end. For the game, the Magic were able to make 38.2% of their three-pointers tonight. The perimeter shooting for both teams was the main reason why both offenses were clicking in tonight’s game.

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